Exploring the Reality of Children Raised by Animals
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Chapter 1: The Concept of Animal Rearing
Raising a child in the company of animals is indeed a possibility, yet the outcomes for human children are often dire. While tales of individuals raised by animals are popular in literature and film, they frequently do not reflect reality. Tragically, these occurrences do happen, but they seldom conclude positively.
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Section 1.1: Fiction vs. Reality
Fictional characters like Tarzan and Mowgli illustrate stories of humans raised by animals who eventually rejoined society and thrived. In contrast, real-life accounts usually involve children who have faced extreme neglect, often found in urban settings rather than wild environments.
Raised by Chickens
In the documentary “Children of the Wild” aired on the Discovery World channel, a resident of Nausori village in Fiji recounted the story of a boy confined with chickens. After a year, he began mimicking their behaviors, clucking and flapping his arms. Discovered in 1982 on a busy road, he was taken to a nursing home in Suva, Fiji’s capital. This boy, named Sujit Kumar, was abandoned by his parents, who believed he was possessed due to his epileptic seizures. His mother tragically took her own life, and his father was murdered.
At the nursing home, Sujit was often tied up and referred to as Chicken. For over two decades, he had limited freedom, confined to his room. However, in 2004, psychologist Elizabeth Clayton learned of his situation and decided to help him. Sujit was moved to a center for underprivileged children, and later into Clayton’s home, where rehabilitation began. Although he is now over 50, he still exhibits some bird-like behaviors, clucking when he sees food or feels anxious. He has not mastered speech but has found a measure of tranquility.
According to anthropologist Mary-Ann Ochota, children raised in the wild can recover from early traumas if provided with a nurturing environment and professional help. Sadly, for Sujit, this assistance came too late.
Section 1.2: The Case of Oksana Malaya
A similar story is that of Oksana Malaya, born in 1983 in Ukraine. Rejected by her alcoholic parents, she spent five years living with semi-wild dogs, finding a semblance of safety. Discovered at the age of eight in 1991, she was filthy, neglected, and unable to walk upright.
Once taken to a psychiatric facility near Odessa, Oksana underwent extensive therapy to catch up on her education and social skills. Although she made significant progress, emotional scars hinder her from forming stable relationships. Nonetheless, she successfully learned to communicate verbally.
Linguist Eric Lenneberg proposed that there is a critical period for language acquisition, which concludes around puberty. If a child does not learn to speak by then, their ability to do so fluently may be permanently compromised. Oksana received help after this critical window had largely closed.
Chapter 2: The Challenges of Isolation
Children raised by animals often develop unique communication methods from their experiences. Those who grow up in complete isolation face the most severe challenges. Genie, a girl born in California in 1957, endured 13 years of confinement by her father, who never spoke to her. After being rescued in 1970, attempts to socialize her and teach her language were met with limited success. While she learned some basic vocabulary, she made more significant strides in sign language.
David Rigler, one of Genie’s therapists, believed that starting with sign language would have yielded better outcomes. This natural form of communication is often overlooked for children raised by hearing parents who teach speech instead, leaving many deaf children struggling to learn a language.
The results are concerning: children often enter schools for the deaf at age seven without any form of communication. In these environments, they finally learn to express themselves using sign language, highlighting the plight of individuals who may be modern equivalents of wild children.
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